Nipple construction



May 8, 1934. .-1. |TT| E NIPPLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 21, 1933 Patented May UNIT ' NlrPLE CONSTRUCTION Jesse Little, Warwick, R. I., assigner to Davol Rubber Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application January 21,

1933, 'serial No.`65z,799

4 claims. (ci. 12s-252) My Ypresent invention relates to nipples used on nursing bottles and has -particular reference to constructions that will render the nipples noncollapsible.

Nipples have heretoforebeen provided with air vents or with air check valves for admittingfair to the bottle to prevent formation of a vacuum within the bottle and resultant collapse of the nipple. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a construction that will permit suitable pressing of the nipple parts but will exert a continually increasing nipple parts appro vent collapsing.

It has also been transmitted to the force to open the nipple as the ach each other, to thus prefound that germs are readily top of ka nursing bottle, and

that a nipple of ordinary construction does not .cover the top of the bottle neck and does not prevent contact of the milk with the top and with any germs transmitted thereto. It is an additional object of my construction which into the neck of the bottle and preventing -conon the nipple tip. It

inventionto provide a nipple has a sealing ange entering tact of the milk with the top of the bottle.

A further diiliculty encountered when using a nipple of ordinary construction results from the nipple of standard to pull the nipple fr type resides in the tendency om the neck of the bottle when a sufliciently strong force or suction is exerted is still another object of my `invention to provide a nipple construction in which the material forming the nipple is so distributed that the nipple rim will lock more tightly upon the bottle neck when the nipple tip is pulled.

With the above and other objectsv and advantageous features in view, my .invention consists .of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed inthe detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and

more specifically defined in thereto.

Referring to the the claims appended drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel nipple positioned on the neck of the nursing bottle;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof showing the contacting surfaces of the'nipple and the bottle neck:

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, vpartly bro- `rounds into and merges with the Outer rounded ken away, showing the form assumed by the nipple when pressed inwardly by pressure of the babys mouth; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the locking of the rim of the nipple to the bottle neck when the nipple tip is pulled. Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, the nipple l0 is shown seated on the neck 11 of a nursing bottle, the base 12 of the nipple being provided with a tab 13 adapted to be grasped by the fingers for facilitating the .application of the nipple to and its removal from the bottle neck. The nipple 10 has the usual outlet perforations 14 in the tip portion 15, communicating with an inner cylindrical flow channel 16, see Fig. 2, anda base groove 17 for receiving the rim of the bottle, the groove 17 being formed by the cylindrical inner surface of the wall 18, the flat lower shoulder of the rim 19, the flat upper shoulder of the conical intermediate section 20, andthe triangular flange 21 depending from the conical intermediate section 20; the juncturesof the upper shoulder with the cylindrical inner wall surface and the depending triangular flange are preferably rounded. The wall 18 is preferably of extended height in relation to the width of the shoulders, in order to produce a slight bulge at the region of the bottle edge, and to readily t bottles having edges of different shapes and sizes. f

The base of the nipple is preferably designed to closely hug the neck of a standard size nursing bottle, and'has a tapered edge 22 -to facilitate pulling the rim over the bottle neck. The conical section gradually curves towards the wall of the flowvchamber 16, the point of closest approach being at the base of the tip 15; the outer surface is preferably not cylindrical, and the smooth curve surface of the tip.

'Ihe conical intermediate section functions as a resilient compression spring when .the nipple is pressed or squeezed by the mouth of the infant, see Fig. 3, as there is no cylindrical wall portion; the strains set up in the conical section by the pressing increase as the nipple is squeezed, and continually tend to force the nipple parts apart. This effectV is due to the cross-section form, as there is no localized Weak section. The novel nipple thus prevents collapsing, and has the desirable effect of stimulating proper movements of the infants lips. l]

The depending flange extends down-intoth'e bottle neck and contacts theinner surface, thus effectively sealing the top ofhthe bottle and keep- 110 ing the milk from contacting the top; since it is easy in drawing the nipple'on to touch the top of the bottle, but almost impossible to touch the interior of the neck, the described construction ensures maintaining the sanitary effects of sterilization.

The engagement of the flange with the inner surface of the bottle neck also functions as an inner seal to eiectively prevent leakage of iluid through the groove and out below the nipple rim, despite stretching of the nipple resulting -from continual drawing of the nipple over the bottle top and removal therefrom. The iiange also cooperates with the extended height of the nipple groove to snugly lit bottles having edges or rims of different heights and sizes.

The extended height of the base groove permits the bottle edge to be forced upwardly into contact with the upper portion of the groove and away from the nipple rim; the base of the nipple thus freely contracts to firmly engage the rim with the bottle neck.'

If the infant pulls on the nipple tip, it has been found that the nipple rim( hugs the neck' more closely, and that the lock iiect increases as the' pull increases. Although the exact reason for this has not been determined, it is apparently due to the slight bulge of the base wall over the neck edge which results from the groove elongation, this slight bulge making the inner wall surface shorter than the outer wall surface and lunder less tension; the conical section transmits a pull on the tip to the itt-ner' wall, thus increasing the relative tension ci' the outer wall and forcing the nipple rim inwardly.

While l have described one specic constructional embodiment of the novel nipple, desired changes in the'relative size, form, and arrangement of the parts may be made to suit different requirements-for nipples, within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the 'appended claims.

I claim:-

l. In a nipple, a base, an intermediate section, and a tip, said base being engageable. with the neck of abottle, said tip being generally spherical and with a wall of substantially uniform thickness, and said intermediate section having an inner generally cylindrical surface and an outer surface aring from the tip to the base to provide a wall of corneal cross section.

2. 1n a nipple, a base, an intermediate section,

anda tip, said base being engageable with the neck of a bottle, said tip being generally spherical and with a wall of substantially uniform thickness, and said intermediate section having an inner generally cylindrical surface and an outer surface flaring from the tip to the base to provide a wall of conical cross section, said base being generally cylindrical in form a'nd having a lower annular rim, and said intermediate section having a depending annular ange extending appreciably below the intermediate section and spaced from the inner wall of said base, whereby an annular recess for receiving the top of a bottle is provided by the contiguous surfaces of the base Wall, the intermediate section, and the depending l flange.

3. In a nipple, a base, an intermediate section, and a tip, said base having a cylindrical inner wall and an inwardly extending flange for engaging the neck of a bottle, said intermediate section flaring outwardly to said base and having an inner cylindrical wall and a lower annular horizontal wall, and having a ange depending-from the inner portion of the annular horizontal wall, whereby an annular recess to receive the top of a bottle is formed by the base wall, the horizontal wall, and the depending iiange.

4. In a nipple, a base, an intermediate section, and a tip, said` base having 'a cylindrical inner wall and an inwardly extending flange for engaging the neck of a bottle, said intermediate section having a lower annular horizontal wall, and having a ange depending from the inner portion of the annular horizontal wall, whereby an annular recess to receive the top of a bottle is formed by the base wall, the horizontal wall, and the depending flange.

JESSE LI'ITLE. 

